diff --git a/apps/s_client.c b/apps/s_client.c
index a4983c178f..9a0989fc42 100644
--- a/apps/s_client.c
+++ b/apps/s_client.c
@@ -317,7 +317,8 @@ int MAIN(int argc, char **argv)
 	int mbuf_len=0;
 #ifndef OPENSSL_NO_ENGINE
 	char *engine_id=NULL;
-	ENGINE *e=NULL;
+	char *ssl_client_engine_id=NULL;
+	ENGINE *e=NULL, *ssl_client_engine=NULL;
 #endif
 #if defined(OPENSSL_SYS_WINDOWS) || defined(OPENSSL_SYS_MSDOS) || defined(OPENSSL_SYS_NETWARE)
 	struct timeval tv;
@@ -555,6 +556,11 @@ int MAIN(int argc, char **argv)
 			if (--argc < 1) goto bad;
 			engine_id = *(++argv);
 			}
+		else if	(strcmp(*argv,"-ssl_client_engine") == 0)
+			{
+			if (--argc < 1) goto bad;
+			ssl_client_engine_id = *(++argv);
+			}
 #endif
 		else if (strcmp(*argv,"-rand") == 0)
 			{
@@ -590,6 +596,16 @@ bad:
 
 #ifndef OPENSSL_NO_ENGINE
         e = setup_engine(bio_err, engine_id, 1);
+	if (ssl_client_engine_id)
+		{
+		ssl_client_engine = ENGINE_by_id(ssl_client_engine_id);
+		if (!ssl_client_engine)
+			{
+			BIO_printf(bio_err,
+					"Error getting client auth engine\n");
+			goto end;
+			}
+		}
 #endif
 	if (!app_passwd(bio_err, passarg, NULL, &pass, NULL))
 		{